WP: Bush Is Urged to Quickly Outline Foreign Policy Goals

[kskiska]

But President May Encounter Hurdles Finding Resources for Outreach in Second Term, Experts Say

Over the next two months, President Bush faces a daunting array of challenges around the world -- complicated by Asia's tsunami disaster -- that will be pivotal in determining how much momentum he can generate for the intensely ambitious agenda of his second term. Nothing less than the Bush doctrine is at stake, say U.S. officials and foreign policy analysts.

With the added burden of tsunami relief, however, the problem is no longer just figuring out how to achieve lofty political and diplomatic goals, it is also coming up with the resources to pay for U.S. commitments abroad, U.S. officials and foreign policy analysts say.

"There's no question that the Bush administration is going to be dealing with an immense budget challenge," said Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), a member of the Foreign Relations Committee. "The pressure from our budget difficulties will allow the Bush administration very limited margins in both foreign and domestic policy. What to do about it is one of the great challenges of our time."

The new $350 million pledge for tsunami relief will eat up virtually the entire U.S. disaster relief budget, and the president has already said further U.S. contributions will be needed. The administration plans to go to Congress to ask for more money to fund aid -- for the tsunami and other disasters this year -- and U.S. military and reconstruction programs in Iraq, U.S. officials say.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41374-2005Jan1.html

[VegasWolf]

1. bush to be handed crayon and paper for outlining. n/t

[imenja]

2. don't forget tracing paper. n/t

[SnoopDog]

3. Just get the hell out of Iraq you sonofabitch...

[Bouncy Ball]

4. Yep.

What the third poster said. Get the hell out of Iraq. TRAIN those Iraqis to secure the nation like you SAID we were going to and start pulling troops out, you asshat.

Oh don't worry, the repukes will just borrow against our grandchildren's and great-grandchildren's future again.

ASSHOLES.

They do NOT believe in fiscal responsibility. There is NOTHING conservative about them.

[alcuno]

5. "Quickly?" What has he been doing for 4 years?

Oh, that's right. Gameboy.

[Pam-Moby]

6. Oh but remember,

Its such hard work spending all of OUR money.

[rodeodance]

8. i think the neocons should pay for the Iraq war from their bank accounts!!

[goforit]

12. Poppy Bush, William Crystal, Richard Pearl, Dick Chenny, Rummy, Lay

and Skilling......

And Israel's massod!!!!

[NuttyFluffers]

21. probably mean likud.

massoud is the "cia" of israel basically. likud is like the "gop" of israel.

i'd throw in all the asshats from csis, ayn rand institute, cato institute, aei, and others.

and can we tar and feather them too? :D pretty please?

[Solly Mack]

7. Bush'll blame the tsunami for America's budget woes

just wait...he'll make a statement in the coming months that will claim aid to tsunami victims caused a money shortage.


Nevermind his war....

[rodeodance]

9. you are right!!!--and stupid people will believe him!!!!!

[Solly Mack]

11. Just look how he blamed "911"

for budget problems

[aikido15]

16. And blamed Clinton for everything else!

:eyes:

[Solly Mack]

17. Yep

[Pithy Cherub]

10. All of *'s outlines turn into targets.

Since being p with countries is out - he ghoes to Congress for more money to increase the number of enemies. Oh yeah, much safer with the master of the crayon box in charge.

[cosmicdot]

13. Hagel: "What to do about it is one of the great challenges of our time."

and, how have you Senator contributed to this situation? how will you help ** to deal with such an "immense budget challenge"???

kow-tow in step behind? rubber stamp after maybe some faux concern for Social Security and such? betcha won't repeal the tax cut which jumped started the fiscal mess will you Sen. Hagel??

hold on to your safety net ... "pressure from our budget difficulties will allow the Bush administration very limited margins in both foreign and domestic policy" ... it's going to be a bumpy ride ...

[LynnTheDem]

14. The "bush Doctrine"; lie your ass off to invade & occupy & rape any nation

And let's hope no other nations in the world decide to follow the "bush Doctrine".

[aikido15]

15. Seriously...let's hope not!

:scared:

[found object]

18. and we're letting those shits steal a billion dollars a day

to do just that. Where does all that fucking money go?
Napalm, Daisy cutters, massive bombs and other high tech shit designed to blow up the low tech shit that's in their way of building massive fortresses around a sea of oil. This country better love the fucking Jesus out of the gas they pump into their suvs or the lives lost are for not.

No insult intended toward the all loving prophet, I just wish he were here to kick some serious ass on those who pocket the spoils.

You can see them laughing in glee!

[burrowowl]

19. But Bu$h does have a foreign policy

the Foreign Policy is to get all the oil under U$ control and make sure Corp America benefits from exploitation of foreign countries, make the world hate us, pre-emptive war, etc.

[bling bling]

20. Resources

"the problem is no longer just figuring out how to achieve lofty political and diplomatic goals, it is also coming up with the resources to pay for U.S. commitments abroad"

We already know that Bush won't dare to touch the sacred tax cuts he gave to the wealthy. I wonder what domestic social programs will be cut next.

[Rose Siding]

22. Reagan admin official says:

"We can't have a war that is at this point unwinnable and costs soaring, and a military that desperately needs more support. That means a net rise in the defense budget, but we can't do that and have a tax cut and reform Social Security -- and not have us pay a price for it," said Geoffrey Kemp, a Reagan administration official now at the Nixon Center.
............

This article is full of BLISTERING criticism...

snip>
"Bush has less global flexibility post-Iraq, broad resistance to U.S. leadership initiatives . . . diminished U.S. influence in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, demonstrable limits on assembling 'coalitions of the willing,' stretched U.S. forces and skepticism about America's veracity and competence," wrote a team of former diplomats and policymakers assembled by Georgetown's Institute for the Study of Diplomacy and chaired by former defense and energy secretary James R. Schlesinger.